Question over renaming of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana in Assembly

Kolkata: The issue of renaming the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to Pradhan Mantri Mukhya Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana has cropped up in the state Assembly with a question being raised regarding the same by Trinamool Congress MLA Jogaranjan Halder.

In a supplementary question, Halder, MLA from Kulpi Assembly constituency, asked the state Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee whether there is any plan to take a move demanding the renaming of the project as the state government bears almost half of the project cost.

In reply, Mukherjee said: "I personally support you and honour your sentiment but I cannot say anything on behalf of the state government."

It may be recalled that Mukherjee, as an MLA, had earlier written to different states to take up the issue of renaming the project as the state governments need to pay the same amount as that of the Centre to construct rural roads under the project.

On Friday, Mukherjee informed the state Assembly that earlier the Centre used to fund the entire project cost but now the state government spends almost 50 percent of the total project cost.

"The share of the project cost of the Centre and the state government at present is in a ratio of 60 and 40 respectively. Since the state government needs to bear some more additional expenses, the share almost goes up to 50 percent," said Mukherjee adding that out of the six central funded projects those are with the Panchayat and Rural Development Department, the Centre has reduced its share of funding for three projects.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly criticised the Centre for reducing its allocation for different projects. It may be mentioned that all the three projects for which the allocation of fund was brought down by the Centre were crucial ones as it is related to an overall development of the rural parts of the state.

Despite the reduction of fund, the state government has continued with the projects for the benefits of the common people.

This comes at the time when Bengal had become first in implementing the project by doing 11 percent more work than the target that was set by the Centre. In the current fiscal, too, the state will be doing more work than the set target.